I begin the second semester of my freshman year in 1983.
The Washington Redskins win Super Bowl XVII by beating the Miami Dolphins 27-17
The Miami Hurricanes win their first national championship by showing Dr. Tom and his Nebraska team that going for 2 in a 31-30 Orange Bowl game may not be the best decision.
Numbers nerds rejoice as the greatest spreadsheet program that will ever be developed, Lotus 1-2-3, is released for IBM-PC compatible computers.
I get my School Permit which means I can drive myself to and from school and school events only. A black Ford Courier pick-up becomes my mode of transportation. I didn’t follow the “myself” part too strictly. Or, the “school events only” part either.
The final episode of M*A*S*H is aired and sets a record for the most watched episode ever. To fill the void left by this landmark series, "The A-Team" debuts.
IBM releases it’s latest and greatest personal computer, the IBM PC XT: 128kB RAM, 360kB double-sided 5.25" floppy disk drive, 10MB hard drive, eight 8-bit ISA expansion slots, and an Intel 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz (with a socket for an 8087 math coprocessor). Oooooh yeeeaaaahhh.
North Carolina State beats Houston 54-52 to win the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. My Cyclones finished 13-15 with no post season appearance.
Nancy Reagan tells Arnold what she's talkin' 'bout when she encourages him to "Just say 'no'" on the television series "Different Strokes." Those kids shoulda listened to her.
A week before my birthday President Reagan outlines his Strategic Defense Initiative: a proposal to develop missile intercepting capability to shield the U.S. from ballistic missile attacks. The plan becomes known as "Star Wars".
Pioneer 10 passed Neptune and becomes the first man-made object to leave our planetary solar system. Sally Ride rides the Space Shuttle Challenger through the glass ceiling and becomes the first American woman in space.
The beautiful Vanessa Williams is crowned Miss America, in Atlantic City, New Jersey (more on this next year).
The rock group Kiss appears sans makeup on MTV. Even though I only saw photos of this I still thought at the time it was a bad decision.
The 17th General Conference on Weights and Measures defined the “metre” as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. No new definition of the inch, foot, or yard was agreed upon.
President Ronald Reagan signs a bill designating the third Monday of every January Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Interior Secretary James Watt opts for Wayne Newton instead of the Beach Boys to perform at the Fourth of July festivities in Washington, D.C. because “rock bands” attract "the wrong element."
The Baltimore Orioles win the World Series 4 games to 1 over the Philadelphia Phillies.
A new animated infomercial called "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" premiers in syndication. Animation is set back decades but toy sales explode.
The hit of the NBC “Motown 25 Special” is by Michael Jackson, who unveils the moonwalk dance move in a performance of the top pop song of 1983, “Billie Jean.”
Those of us without access to cable television or an easily foiled satellite dish had to rely on “Friday Night Videos” which premiered on NBC to fulfill our music video needs.
Quiet Riot's very lame “Metal Health” album becomes the first heavy metal album to hit #1 in the United States solidifying the Hair Band as main stream/commercial. Later in the year, Michael's 14-minute music video for “Thriller” premiers on MTV. Uncle Bruce provides some of the voiceover.
Soviet officials mistake the NATO exercise “Able Archer 83” for an actual nuclear first strike, creating a nuclear scare. This is a timely promo for the made-for-television movie “The Day After,” which depicts the days immediately after the start of a nuclear war. (filmed in my current hometown of Lawrence, Kansas).
McDonald's introduces the McNugget. Parts is parts.
My Iowa State football team finishes their season 4-7 with no bowl appearance. Again.
Chrysler starts production of the Dodge Caravan which is dubbed a “minivan.” This in turn leads to the “Soccer Mom” which will eventually evolve into the “MILF.”
Several movies are released which I still watch even today: “Return of the Jedi,” “National Lampoon's Vacation,” “Trading Places,” “WarGames,” and “Risky Business.” Some of the girls in school also thought a little film called “Flashdance” was good, too.
All in all 1983 was just another year for me.
This post’s title is a line from the Top 20 hit "Rock of Ages" recorded by Def Leppard
Be safe.
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